The Piper | Page 2

my good man?
HANS the Butcher --He that charmed the rats!
OTHERS Yes, yes,--that charmed the rats!
JACOBUS [piously] Why, no man knows.-- Which proves him such a random instrument As Heaven doth sometimes send us, to our use; Or, as I do conceive, no man at all,-- A man of air; or, I would say--delusion. He'll come no more.
REYNARD [from the Ark] Eh?--Oh, indeed, Meaow!
JACOBUS 'Tis clearest providence. The rats are gone. The man is gone. And there is nought to pay, Save peaceful worship. [Pointing to the Minster.]
REYNARD [sarcastically] Oh, indeed,--Meaow! [Sudden chorus of derisive animal noises from the Ark, delighting PEOPLE and CHILDREN.]
KURT Silence,--you strollers there! Or I will have you Gaoled, one and all.
PEOPLE No, Kurt the Syndic, no!
BARBARA [to Jacobus] No; no! Ah, father, bid them stay awhile And play it all again.--Or, if not all, Do let us see that same good youth again, Who swallowed swords--between the Ark Preserved And the Last Judgment!
REYNARD Michael-the-Sword-Eater, Laurels for thee!
[The BEAR disappears: MICHAEL puts out his own head, and gazes fixedly at BARBARA.
CHILDREN Oh, can't we see the animals in the Ark? Again? Oh, can't we see it all again?
ILSE Oh, leave out Noah! And let's have only Bears And Dromedaries, and the other ones!--
[General confusion.]
KURT Silence!
JACOBUS Good people--you have had your shows; And it is meet, that having held due feast, Both with our market and this Miracle, We bring our holiday to close with prayer And public thanks unto Saint Willibald,-- Upon whose day the rats departed thence.
REYNARD [loudly] Saint Willibald!
BEAR --Saint Willibald!
OTHER ANIMALS [looking out] ( Saint Willibald! ( Saint! Oh!
CROWD Saint Willibald!--And what had he to do With ridding us o' rats?
HANS the Butcher 'T was the Piping Man Who came and stood here in the market-place, And swore to do it for one thousand guilders!
PETER the Cobbler Ay, and he did it, too!--Saint Willibald!
[Renewed uproar round the tent.]
KURT [to Jacobus] Drive out those mountebanks! 'T is ever so. Admit them to the town and you must pay Their single show with riotings a week.-- Look yonder at your daughter.
[BARBARA lingers by the Ark-Tent, gazing with girlish interest at MICHAEL, who gazes at her, his bear-head in his band for the moment.]
JACOBUS Barbara!
[She turns back, with an angry glance at KURT.]
AXEL the Smith [doggedly to them] By your leave. Masters! I would like to know, How did Saint Willibald prevail with the rats?-- That would I like to know. I, who ha' made Of strong wrought traps, two hundred, thirty-nine, Two hundred, thirty-nine.
REYNARD [calling] And so would I!
HANS the Butcher So please your worships, may it please the Crier, Now we be here,--to cry the Piping Man--
PETER the Cobbler A stranger-man, gay-clad,--in divers colors! Because he, with said piping--
HANS the Butcher --Drave away The horde of rats!
PETER the Cobbler [sagely] To our great benefit; And we be all just men.
OTHERS Ay, ay!--Amen!
WOMEN Amen, Our Lady and the blessed Saints!
JACOBUS Why, faith, good souls, if ye will have him cried, So be it.--But the ways of Heaven are strange! Mark how our angel of deliverance came,-- Or it may be. Saint Willibald himself,-- Most piedly clothed, even as the vilest player!-- And straight ascended from us, to the clouds! But cry him, if you will.--Peace to your lungs!-- He will not come.
[KURT wrathfully consults with JACOBUS, then signals to Crier.
CRIER Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Whereas, now three days gone, our Plague of Rats Was wholly driven hence, our City cleansed, Our peace restored after sore threat of famine, By a Strange Man who came not back again, Now, therefore, if this Man have ears to hear, Let him stand forth.--Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!
[Trumpet.--PEOPLE gaze up and down the little streets.--REYNARD steps out of the Ark and comes down slowly, with a modest air.--KURT points him out, threateningly, and the CROWD bursts into derisive laughter.--He doffs his animal-head at leisure, showing a sparkling dark-eyed face.
ALL The Man! the Man!
KURT AND JACOBUS The Devil!--'T is--
ALL --THE PIPER!
[The PIPER regards them all with debonair satisfaction; then reverses his head-piece and holds it out upside-down, with a confident smile.
PIPER Three days of rest, your worships, you have had. I see no signs of famine hereabout. The rats are gone, even to the nethermost tail: And I've fulfilled my bargain. Is it granted?
[Murmurs, then cheers of "Ay, Ay, PIPER!" from the crowd.
Thank 'ee.--My thousand guilders, an you please.
JACOBUS One thou--Come, come! This was no sober bargain.-- No man in reason could--
PIPER One thousand guilders.
KURT One thousand rogueries!
JACOBUS [to PIPER] You jest too far.
AXEL Lucky, if he get aught!--Two hundred traps, And nine, and thirty! By Saint Willibald, When was I paid?
AXEL'S WIFE Say, now!
PIPER . . . One thousand guilders.
PETER the Cobbler Give him an hundred.
HANS the Butcher Double!
HANS' WIFE You were fools To make agreement with him.--Ask old Claus. He has the